my new mission
Written on July 8, 2011 at 12:45 pm, by ginacruz
For those food lovers out there who love food but can’t seem to be pleased or convinced with the ”healthy” meals poorly advertised on the menu or the lack of appeal and flavor healthy foods can portray, this post is for you. I am on a mission to find meals that will make people use the words delicious and healthy in the same sentence. I myself have overcome many food challenges and have learned to like many things i once despised. One of my theories on food, especially vegetables and healthy items, is that we can all come to like them (most things at least) the key is finding a way that will be pleasing to our palate. It’s in the how we cook it and what we cook it with that can make the difference.
Exhibit A: mushrooms. I used to be disgusted by mushrooms, especially on pizza…that is until I had them sauteed, then i tried grilled and boom a new love for mushrooms began. Now i love them in my omelette, pasta and home-made pizza.
What i’m saying is, don’t give up on the foods you think you hate because who knows they might just end up being your favorite thing to eat 
Let the mission begin!
little ones can help too!
Written on June 4, 2011 at 10:53 am, by ginacruz
Being around kids, especially right now living in a house with young ones, has allowed me to see the importance of the structure and creativity that is needed to produce in kids greater levels of engagement and cooperation with things around the house and with the family. Most of the time, kids like to help out and do whatever mommy and daddy are doing, but it is also the case that often time that leads to a big mess. it’s understandable why some parents would prefer to keep their young ones out of the kitchen and places where they can make a big mess for them; although i think sometimes making a mess is part of the fun. As I was washing a pile of dishes that were mostly used by the kids, I began to think of ways that pile can be minimized in the future. So i thought, what if each kid had their own set of cup, bowl and plate. Each with a different color so that it’s easy to tell them apart. They will only be able to use their own color stuff so they will be responsible to wash it and keep track of their things. kids like to have their own things and are more protective and somewhat responsible for what is theirs, so why not get them their own dishes Something to try!
sweetening things up the healthy way
Written on June 4, 2011 at 9:41 am, by ginacruz
One of the things I love making for breakfast besides omelets, is a fruit parfait. I use Stoney Field’s low fat french vanilla organic yogurt for a creamy yet light taste. I cut some fresh strawberries, bananas and add some blueberries if I find any in the fridge and mix it a little to give the yogurt some color and fruity taste from the berries. For a nice crunch in each bite, I like to top it off with some Go Lean Crunch honey almond flax Kashi cereal. It’s a wonderful easy-to-make meal full of nutrients and deliciousness!
Thinking of making this for breakfast during the week, I picked up what i needed at the grocery store. The next day I gathered all the ingredients and made my parfait. As I took the first bite, I realized there was something different; It was not as sweet as usual. I took a look at the yogurt container and realized I had bought the plain kind instead of vanilla. It was not a happy moment for me. It’s never fun to eat something with an expectation of what is going to taste like it and be disappointed when the taste doesn’t quite match what you had in mind. Fortunately, a moment later I had a light-bulb moment and thought, Why not add honey? So I carried out the idea and mixed some honey to my not-so-sweet parfait. I must say it was a great idea!
a little lime juice goes a long way
Written on May 16, 2011 at 9:49 am, by ginacruz
In the mood for a fresh salad today, trying to cool off from the heat, I began to search the refrigerator for ingredients. it turned out i had just the right ingredients to make a colorful and tasty salad. I chopped some baby carrots, a Roma tomato, avocado, a little bit of onion, baby spinach and tossed it all in a bowl. I added some lime juice and a pinch of salt and voila a delicious salad was made! it was quick, easy, fresh, and the best part…delicious and nutritious!!
many times the pure goodness and nutritional benefits of salads can be spoiled by a not-so-healthy dressing or the extra stuff that’s added to give the salad “flavor”. People often think that salads have to be bland and flavorless, I used to be one of those people, but a little bit of lime juice changed that. Growing up i didn’t like many vegetables, yet i ate most of them. Not because i wanted to of course, but it wasn’t something i could get away it at the dinner table…well at least most of the time. Then as a teenager I began to eat them more willingly, although it still wasn’t because I like them but because i knew they were good for me. As i got older I started to really like food and try different things. But I was still picky about salads. Making salads for myself has been a good way to mix things up and find the best way for me to enjoy them.
There are many health-benefits that limes provide. They help with digestion due to its acidic nature, which can also help constipation. Its high vitamin C helps the body fight off colds and the juice can help rejuvenate the skin. The high Potassium level in Limes reduces toxic levels in the urinary bladder and the kidneys, helping cure urinary tract infections such as cystitis. The list goes on, making this tiny fruit even more valuable and important. Adding lime to our diet is a great way to add zest to many foods and dishes and take advantage of the many benefits this little citrus fruit provides for us
nutrition talk
Written on March 25, 2011 at 10:25 am, by ginacruz
for the past couple of weeks I have found myself in some very interesting conversations with strangers and random people, from co-workers and class mates to cab drivers and random people on the bus, about a topic I’m very passionate about… nutrition. It has been really interesting noticing the different perspectives and perceptions people have about nutrition and eating habits. I noticed it’s something that is valued and prioritized according to the person’s lifestyle. Culture, life experiences, and family history are some of the things that influence a person’s habits and choices when it comes to food, and a lot of other areas of life as well. From thewide range of factors that contribute to the shaping of a person’s eating habits and perspective on the relationship between food and lifestyle, i realized that regardless of how those factors have shaped a person, when choosing to eat healthy it all comes down to this: motivation and determination. Motivation to seek/adjust lifestyle and eating habits to correlate with the desire to strive for optimal and balanced health and body; with the Determination to maintain that desire and make the adjustments long-term changes. Even though in many cases, it’s very difficult to manage and maintain that balance, I believe that’s when consistency and perseverance needs to be built within the core of that motivation. It comes down to more than eating fruits and vegetables, but finding order and building discipline within your life through the process of maintaining a well-balanced diet.
hello world!!
Written on March 14, 2011 at 6:20 pm, by ginacruz
I should start out by introducing myself. My name is Gina Cruz, I am a currently a college student at GSU. I am majoring in Dietetics with the intention of focusing on kid’s nutrition. I have a passion for working with kids as well as for many aspects of food, which include eating, cooking and exploring the benefits of a well-balanced diet. I am one of those people who at the grocery store spend their time going through every isle and patiently read the nutrition labels of all the products…i defintely take my time there. For me is more than just knowing how many calories a product contains, but i read the labels with a real desire and inquisitiveness to know what the product is made out of and the nutritional value it contains; it’s a mix of interest, curiosity,excitement and pure passion that impels me to wonder through every isle looking to expand my knowledge of food as well as come up with fun ways to make nutritious food deliciouss too!!
A big part of what sparked my interest and passion for nutrition was understanding this:
Eating is such a key component of our lives, and it’s important to know that what we put in our mouths affects more than our stomach. With one body to take care of and one life to live, it’s important to STEWARD those things with wisdom and a conscious effort if we want to make the best of both.